DOOM

First Impression

I downloaded DOOM on a Tuesday night because I was bored out of my skull waiting for a delayed flight at Newark. My phone battery was at 60%, and I figured I’d blow up some demons for 20 minutes. Honestly? The first hour was rough. The on-screen controls felt awkward, like trying to pat your head and rub your belly while running from a giant fireball. I almost refunded it right there. But I stuck with it because the graphics were shockingly crisp for a phone game—I’m talking lighting effects and gore that actually made me look twice. By the time my flight boarded, I’d died about a dozen times on the second level, and I was hooked. Not because it’s some masterpiece, but because it’s stress relief in a can. It’s loud, fast, and doesn’t ask you to think too hard. That’s exactly what I needed.

What It Does Well

Let’s cut to the chase: the action is relentless. You run, you shoot, you chainsaw demons in the face—repeat. The campaign has 20 levels, and they don’t mess around with long cutscenes or boring tutorials. You’re thrown into Hell with a shotgun and told to survive. I love that. The SnapMap feature is also genuinely cool for a mobile game. I spent a lazy Saturday afternoon building a custom map with teleporters and extra health packs, and it actually worked. No crashes, no lag. And the multiplayer? I hopped into a 4-player deathmatch last Sunday morning while my coffee was brewing. It’s chaotic and a little clunky, but it’s fun in short bursts. The controller support is a lifesaver too. I hooked up my Xbox controller via Bluetooth, and the game runs smooth. No input delay, no weirdness. If you’re serious about playing, do yourself a favor and use one.

Where It Falls Short

Okay, here’s the honest truth. The touch controls are garbage for anything beyond the first few levels. On the iPhone 15 Pro’s small screen, my thumbs kept slipping or blocking half the action. I died more times from fat-fingering the wrong button than from actual demons. You absolutely need a controller to enjoy this game properly, and that’s a big ask for a mobile app. Also, the storage space is insane. It ate up over 12GB on my phone after the initial download plus the update. I had to delete two podcasts and a photo album just to make room. Seriously? On top of that, I ran into a bug on level 14 where the game froze for a solid 10 seconds during a boss fight. Not ideal when you’re in the zone. The support team fixed it with the next patch, but it made me rage-quit for two days. For a paid app, I expect fewer hiccups.

Is It Worth the Price?

I paid the full price, and honestly, I don’t regret it. But I’m picky about what I spend money on. If you’re someone who plays mobile games for five minutes and moves on, skip this. It’s not a cheap distraction—it’s a full game that demands your time and attention. For me, it’s worth it because it’s DOOM. The campaign alone gives you hours of solid gameplay, and the multiplayer adds replay value if you have friends who also bought it. But let’s be real: you could buy a PC game for the same price and get a smoother experience. The mobile version is a convenience play. I use it on my lunch breaks and in hotel rooms when I’m traveling. For that purpose, it’s fine. Just go in knowing you’ll need a controller and some free storage space.

Developer & Support

I contacted support once after that freeze bug on level 14. I submitted a ticket through their website on a Wednesday, and I got a response the following Monday—about five days later. That’s longer than I’d like, especially since I paid for the app. But the response itself was helpful. They apologized, gave me a link to a workaround, and said the patch was coming. And they did release a fix about a week after that. So credit where it’s due: they’re listening, but they’re not fast. If you hit a game-breaking issue, expect to wait. That’s frustrating when you’re in the middle of a boss fight and your progress gets wiped. Still, it’s better than silence.

Privacy & Safety

I’m not one to dig through privacy policies for fun, but I glanced at this one because it asks for access to my storage and network. The app doesn’t seem to be collecting anything shady—no location tracking, no camera nonsense. It needs storage to save your game data and the custom maps you build, which makes sense. The multiplayer runs through Bethesda’s servers, so they probably log basic stuff like your username and match history. That’s standard for online games. Nothing freaked me out. If you’re paranoid, play offline. The campaign works perfectly without an internet connection. Just don’t expect end-to-end encryption or anything fancy; this is a game, not a banking app.